On May 26, a meeting took place in Kyiv between the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha; the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Serhii Kyslytsia; and the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Ihor Zhovkva.
Joining Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the meeting were the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Pavel Latushka; her Chief Advisor, Franak Viacorka; and Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked President Zelenskyy for the invitation to Kyiv and for the meeting, as well as for supporting Belarusians living in Ukraine, Belarusian refugees, and Belarusian volunteers fighting for Ukraine. She expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russian aggression and called for maintaining a principled stance toward dictatorships and aggressors.
She thanked President Zelenskyy for maintaining dialogue with Belarusian society, which is not identical to the regime. She noted that this is the right approach — one the entire world should follow — and that it demonstrates Ukraine’s leadership in the region and on Belarus-related issues.
The parties discussed the military and political situation in the region and the need to prevent Belarus from being further drawn into the war. They addressed security along the Belarus–Ukraine border and the threats that continue to come from the Lukashenka regime and Russia.
They also discussed a possible working coordination group to address issues facing Belarusians in Ukraine, including documents and legal status.
One of the key topics of the meeting was support for Belarusian volunteer fighters, the situation of Belarusian prisoners of war who fought for Ukraine, and possibilities for securing the release of political prisoners unlawfully convicted by the Lukashenka regime for supporting Ukraine.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya highlighted Ukraine’s important role in assisting political prisoners released through the efforts of the United States. A significant number of them were evacuated through Ukraine.
The parties also discussed joint efforts to counter Russian propaganda and Russification, support Belarusian and Ukrainian cultural, linguistic, and educational initiatives, and develop student and youth exchange programs.
Mr. Zelenskyy and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also focused specifically on holding the Lukashenka regime accountable for international crimes, including complicity in the aggression against Ukraine, as well as the need to maintain and strengthen sanctions pressure on the regime until systemic changes take place in Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on President Zelenskyy to support the firm position of the European Union — particularly that of Lithuania and Poland — toward the regime, in order to prevent any easing of sanctions, including on fertilizer transit, until systemic changes occur in Belarus and repression ends.
The meeting covered possible scenarios for developments in Belarus and prospects for a peaceful democratic transition to resolve the political crisis, including through a National Dialogue.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the appointment of Yaroslav Chornohor as Ambassador-at-Large for Cooperation with the Democratic Forces of Belarus and called for launching systematic coordination between Ukraine and the Belarusian democratic movement.
This was the second meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Their first meeting took place in January 2026 in Vilnius.
